Time to Tell Me the Truth
by StarWarrior72
Summary: Obi-Wan was very close with Anakin, so it wouldn't be too surprising if he couldn't bring himself to lie to Luke, would it?


Luke stared across the hanger at the duel. Obi-Wan couldn't possibly beat Vader! He was getting older, and Vader was younger. Maybe not a lot, maybe he was crippled, but from the way he was fighting, Luke couldn't see that it affected him much.

"Come on, Luke!" Leia hissed at him from the landing ramp.

Luke turned back to them, then his horrified gaze was ripped back to the battle. "You should get going."

"Not without you, kid." Han snapped at him.

Luke forced himself to turn back to them. "Please. I can't leave Ben. He's saved my life more than once. I owe him at least my best try. He told me- he told me that Vader's my father. I think maybe I can distract him for long enough for Ben to get back to you, but he'll take me. You have to trust me."

Leia was looking at him in horror, and Luke felt a terrible crushing. She was giving up on him simply because of his father. But that was for the best, he told himself. It meant that she didn't care if he tried what he was thinking. Han, on the other hand, was quite unfazed by the revelation.

"That's great, Kid. It doesn't change a thing. Do you have any idea what he'll do to you?"

"No. Honestly? I have no idea what he'll do to me. I just know it's the only hope for Ben."

Leia made herself turn to him, "Obi-Wan has visited my father occasionally. He said he was watching over the last hope for the Jedi. It's been you, hasn't it?"

"I'd guess so. But, Leia, without a teacher, how am I supposed to learn?"

Both opened their mouths to tell him not to do it, but he shook his head. Nervously, he started walking around the well in the middle of the hanger bay's floor. He could feel his hands shaking. What would his father do to him? What if Ben had been lying to him, trying to bolster his confidence in his potential?

"Father?" He called to the two duelists.

Ben turned and met his gaze. Then he closed his eyes and raised his lightsaber. Vader lifted his saber, ready to kill him.

_He thinks I'm calling Ben!_

"Father! Don't hurt him!"

That got Vader's attention. He lowered his saber, turning towards Luke. Luke sighed in relief. He made himself run towards the man he was certain had ordered the murder of his guardians. He clenched his fists, closing his eyes at the same time, mentally begging Ben to run. There was no going back for him.

He was relieved to sense Ben begin to move. But when he opened his eyes, he saw, to his horror, that the old man was raising his saber to kill Vader, who was watching Luke's progress, apparently transfixed.

"Ben! Don't hurt him! Just run!"

Vader turned back to the Jedi and raised his lightsaber just in time to slice through the hilt of Ben's saber.

Ben looked sadly at Luke for a moment. Then he ran past him, making for the_ Falcon_. Vader hadn't even tried to stop Ben's escape.

As the troopers in the room realized what was happening, they began shooting at Luke. Luke slowed down, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. He was shaking again. He heard the _Falcon_'s engines roar and knew that he was now truly alone. He had convinced his friends to leave him. It was a good thing, he told himself. It meant they would survive. Surely Ben would find another Force-sensitive to train.

Suddenly, a small beep emanated from behind him, pulling Luke back to the situation at hand. Artoo had apparently got himself off the leaving ship. Luke gave a silent prayer to the Force that he had somehow managed to leave his information back on the ship. He was surprised to find himself standing stalk still in the middle of the hanger bay. No-one was shooting at him, all the troopers had lowered their weapons. Some were even coming to watch his march to Vader.

Artoo gave another beep, nudging Luke's heels, pushing him towards Vader. Luke started walking again, unsteadily, and his little droid came and rolled along next to him, allowing him to rest one hand on Artoo's domed head to steady himself.

The little droid started to move faster, gently moderating Luke's speed. Luke stumbled along. He had to get to Vader. It shouldn't have taken this long. Why hadn't he simply run? What had made him choose to walk, giving himself so much time to realize how stupid his actions were?

Vader was starting to move towards him in return. Luke forced himself to pick up his heels, running towards the Sith. Vader stopped coming to him, just watching again. Luke slid to a halt immediately before his father.

"Son?" Vader asked softly, unsurely.

Luke forced his hands to relax. "Father?"

But Vader didn't seem to recognize him. He had stopped attacking Ben for Luke though, hadn't he? _He must recognize me!_ Luke told himself.

"Where did they take you? Why did I never hear of you? Child, what's your name?" Vader asked.

Luke blinked at him. He didn't know about everything that had transpired.

"My name is Luke," he supplied, not quite sure what answers his father needed for the other questions.

Vader reached for Luke, who submitted. Before he could process what was happening, his father was holding him close. Luke didn't know how to respond, so he just lay against his father, feeling thousands of daydreams being fulfilled. His father, alive and wanting him!

He was aware of the troopers staring at him, but he couldn't bring himself to care. All that mattered to him was that he was being held. After everything that had happened that day, he had needed to be held by someone. He hadn't expected that it would be Vader who came to fill the position of comforter.

Then, suddenly, Vader was releasing him. He didn't want to be let go of. But Vader gently pried him off, leading him. Artoo followed loyally. Vader led him through the maze of corridors he had just tried so hard to exit. At last, Vader showed him through a last doorway into a dark series of rooms.

His father pushed him down onto one of the sofas and began pacing. Unsure, he watched, glad that Artoo decided to nudge up against his knee. He put one hand on the droid's dome again, still watching.

At last his father turned to him, "I shouldn't have greeted you like that. We have two choices from here. We can kill everyone who saw our reunion, or we can risk the Emperor finding out about you.

Luke sighed to himself. Of course the galaxy would mix fulfilling all his dreams and dumping him in the middle of a crisis. He didn't want to condemn the hundred-odd soldiers in the hanger. But something about the way his father had spoken of the Emperor had made it sound like a terrible mistake to choose that.

"We need to make the decision quickly. As soon as those soldiers' shifts are over they will go home to their families, and they will spread the news."

Luke closed his eyes. In the adrenaline rush of fighting to save the princess, the rebellion, the galaxy, he hadn't thought of the families of the soldiers he killed.

"I don't want them to die," he said softly.

He felt his father's hand on his head, and felt himself starting to shake. His father gently helped him to his feet.

"There's a tracker on board your friend's ship. Are you any good at piloting? I'm sure the Rebellion will put up a fight. If I can get you aboard a ship, I'd need you to fly to the_ Executor_. Most of the men onboard are loyal to me only. All others you can get past with the basic guise of being a disabled pilot."

Luke blinked at his father in surprise, impressed by how quickly the plan had come to mind. "Yeah, I can fly."

"Good. I'll shoot one of your engines early on. Claim your ship is crippled. There won't be an extra aboard. They'll take you to the mess hall. Wait there for me."

Luke nodded. His father led him down several levels to another hanger, full of TIEs.

"Familiarize yourself with the controls. The pilot of this particular ship is currently on leave. When the other ships are filled, they will automatically launch. Another ship will be disabled soon enough. They will lead you to the docking bay, if you haven't found your way there by then."

Luke nodded, climbing into the ship and starting to take in the controls.

"I'll see you again soon," Vader promised. Luke sensed him leaving the bay.

Before he knew what was happening, the bay was starting to fill with pilots in black flight suits. Luke glanced at his own farm attire and hoped no-one would notice. He also hoped his father took the lack of life support into account when he shot down the ship. Then the ships were taking to space, one row at a time. As Luke's ship was shot out of the bay, he took the controls, trying to calm himself enough to remember what he was going to have to do.

Flying the ship, Luke was glad to discover, was practically instinctive. He followed the rest of the group he'd been slung out with, hoping it wouldn't be noticed that he didn't know what he was supposed to be doing. Soon he sensed his father close. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the distinctive hexagonal wings of the ship he had learned about in his school textbooks. He relaxed, not wanting to cause his father's shot to hit him in the wrong place.

The ship gave a dramatic leap and smoke began to emanate from the back of the cockpit._ Well, that's good. It means there's still oxygen back there._ To Luke's further relief, he didn't feel a sudden rush of wind. He watched as his father similarly disabled another fighter. The other soldier led him to a bay on his father's ship.

He landed next to the other pilot's ship and climbed out. The other man moved into sight. He looked at Luke with simple understanding in his eyes.

"So, you're Vader's son."

"Uh-" Luke faltered. He wasn't sure how his father would want him to answer.

"It's okay, he told me. He warned me he was going to shoot us down."

Luke smiled, "Yeah, I am."

"Come on," the man suggested kindly. "You'll be pretty obvious in those clothes. You can have a spare uniform from my room."

"I was supposed to meet my father in the cafeteria." Luke said uncertainly.

"It'll take even Vader a bit longer than this to finish up with a battle. We'll be there for him in a few minutes."

Hesitantly, Luke followed the man. They reached a series of small rooms. The man led him into one and opened a large drawer under one of the several bunks jammed into the small space, and pulled out a neatly folded Imperial uniform.

"It'll be a bit big for you, but they probably won't notice. There's a fresher through that door, you can change there."

Luke did as he was told, yanking the uniform on and looking at the pile of clothing from the farm. He couldn't very well carry it with him, but he wanted to keep it.

"Is there anywhere I can leave my old clothes?"

"I'll lend you a pack too,"

Luke folded his things carefully and re-entered the barracks. The man gave him a pack, and he shoved his belongings into it, his lightsaber carefully rolled in his shirt.

"Can you show me to the Cafeteria, please?"

"Of course." The man turned and started out of his room.

Luke followed him. Somehow it didn't feel quite right to start a conversation. He had tried, and the man had sort of avoided his attempt at friendliness. When they reached the cafeteria, the man lent him money for food. He bought himself something and sat down in a quiet, unoccupied part of the room. He started to eat, waiting for his father to return.

When his father finally entered the room, Luke felt the atmosphere change completely. He had always known his father had that effect on average citizens, and, of course, more so with rebels. But he had never thought that Vader's own men would be so scared of him.

He stood up and walked to his father, who led him out again, taking him to a large door, then leading him through it.

The room inside was certainly fit for a king. Luke stared around at it all, holding tightly to his backpack.

"I see you found your way. Good job. These ships can be rather confusing."

"I had help," Luke said honestly.

He sensed Vader's smile and smiled back.

"What's gonna happen now?"

"The rebels have destroyed the Death Star" His father answered, "We have the perfect opportunity to disappear. Getting you home will not be an issue. The ship is already jumping to hyperspace."

Luke nodded, "That's great."

"While we wait, we can get to know one another, if you like." Vader offered. Luke had the strangest feeling that he was feeling shy, or something like it.

"That'd be awesome," Luke said, smiling. "I've always wanted to know you."

Vader gestured to a sofa, and Luke collapsed into it, letting his pack slip from his hand to land on the floor beside it.

Vader gave a soft snort, "Good thing I wasn't planning on introducing you to the Emperor. He would kill you just for being so casual."

Luke smiled at his father and pulled off his boots, crossing his legs on the sofa. His father sat beside him. Luke debated with himself for half a second before leaning comfortably against his father. Again he sensed Vader smiling, and the Sith put one gentle arm around his son.

"Ben said you fought in the Clone Wars."

"Yes."

Luke looked up at his father, preparing himself for story time. "Tell me."


End file.
